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5 undefeated teams remain as we head into week 4 of the NFL season. I went 9-7 a week ago, bringing my season total to 26-22.

Bye Week: Philadelphia and Green Bay

Thursday Night Football

Dolphins @ Bengals: Miami barely squeaked by the Browns last week, while the Bengals were beat down by the defending champs at home. The Dolphins got a big day from Jarvis Landry, but inconsistency continues to plague Ryan Tannehill, who threw a pick six in the win. Cincinnati got their running game going, but still lost to 1-2 for the first time in five years. After two very good weeks, Andy Dalton couldn’t do much against the Broncos defense. I like the Bengals at home with another good rushing game to get their second win of the season. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday Morning Football

Colts @ Jaguars: London here they come! Indianapolis got their first win of the season last week, while Jacksonville is still looking for theirs. Andrew Luck has the uncanny ability to turn a bad day into a big day passing the ball, but the Jaguars defense isn’t the problem so far, so he’ll need help. Blake Bortles on the other hand, has been pretty awful for Jacksonville in his third year under center. So what happens this weekend across the pond? Give me a cleaner day from Luck to lift the Colts. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Bills @ Patriots: Three different quarterbacks have started for New England, but that hasn’t stopped the winning. And as for the Bills, they got their first win over a team many think, myself included, are a playoff team destined for a deep run. Both teams got big two-touchdown games out of their number 1 running backs, so look for another day of running the clock. The Patriots have to get through one more week without Tom Brady, and while they’ve done a great job doing so, and are very, very good at home, I’m taking the road team in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Titans @ Texans: It was a very bad week for Houston, who not only lost their Thursday game versus New England 27-0, they learned that JJ Watt re-injured his back and will be out the rest of the year. Tennessee’s week wasn’t much better, as they scored just 10 points in their loss to Oakland. Both teams enter action having scored the same amount of points through 3 games, but of course that’s skewed with the Texans O-fer last weekend. Marcus Mariota and Brock Osweiler have both thrown 4 interceptions so far this season, so whoever can limit mistakes has the edge. A Titans win puts them in a tie for the division early. But I don’t think they get it, because I like the Texans skill position players better. HOUSTON WINS

Lions @ Bears: The Lions are 1-2, but haven’t struggled in the passing game, as Matthew Stafford has found a new weapon in Marvin Jones after Calvin Johnson called it a career in the off-season. The silver lining there for the 0-3 Bears is that their defense has actually done okay against the pass so far this season. Chicago got a pretty good game out of Brandon Hoyer, who finished 30-49 for 317 yards, though most of that came with the game out of hand already. Both teams have the ability to get the points in the air, and with two middling defenses, that shouldn’t be a problem. So this game will be won in the trenches, and the edge there lies with the Lions. DETROIT WINS

Panthers @ Falcons: Carolina is another team I thought would have a great season, but has disappointed so far. Thanks to the struggles of the Panthers and the rest of the NFC South, Atlanta finds themself atop the division early on in the season. This dispite allowing 31, 28 and 32 points in their first three games. The Falcons may not be getting sustained success in their ground game early, they are getting it when it counts. Tevin Coleman has just 110 yards on the ground, but has 4 rushing touchdowns, including 3 on Sunday in New Orleans. Carolina entered action red-hot at home dating back to 2014, but we shut down by a red-hot Vikings defense a week ago. I still believe in the Panthers defense, and as hot as Atlanta has been, I think Carolina gets the win on the road.CAROLINA WINS

Seahawks @ Jets: The good news for Jets fans? Ryan Fitzpatrick can only be better than he was a week ago. The bad news? He has to be a lot better against the top defense in the league. After scoring just 3 points against L.A. in week 2, the Seahawks exercised some demons putting up 37 against the Niners. Russell Wilson was hobbled in the game, but still managed to leave with a nice lead. Big games from Christine Michael and Doug Baldwin helped get the offense back on track. New York can solace in the fact that they have had a pretty good run game all season, and while some of it came in garbage time, Seattle did allow the Niners to get over 130 yards on the ground, finding pay dirt twice. This shouldnt be as ugly for the Jets as it was last week, but it will still be a loss. SEATTLE WINS

Raiders @ Ravens: Baltimore finds itself among the undefeated teams heading into week 4, in large part thanks to their defense and a good day from kicker Justin Tucker. The Ravens are second in total defense through 3 weeks of play. Their opponents won their 2nd game by forcing three turnovers, with a sack after entering week 3 having allowed the Saints and Falcons to walk all over them. So based on defenses, Baltimore should have an easy win. But I actually like Oakland’s offense a lot more, and as someone who thinks this is a playoff team, I’ll take the Raiders in the upset. OAKLAND WINS

Browns @ Redskins: Cleveland should’ve gotten their first win of the season in Miami a week ago, but an inability to stop the air attack, and three missed field goals left them at 0-3. They gave themselves a shot, but couldn’t take it. Cody Kessler’s first career start wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good for Cleveland, though at this point, coming out healthy is huge for the Browns. Washington did get their first win, taking down the Giants on the road. After a couple lackluster offensive weeks, Kirk Cousins let it loose and got a number of big plays in the passing game to help get that first win and move back in the right direction to defend their NFC East title. So can the Browns get their first win this week? Yes. Will they? I don’t think so. They stayed in last week thanks to mistakes by Tannehill, but Cousins won’t make those same mistakes. WASHINGTON WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Broncos @ Buccaneers: The Superbowl Champs are showing no signs of slowing down as they look to start the season 4-0. Denver got off to a slow start last week against the Bengals, but came on strong late thanks to a big day from rookie quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian threw four touchdown passes, including two in the fourth quarter for the win. Not to be outdone, the Broncos are a top flight defense that held down Andy Dalton and their rushing attack. They’ve got another tough test when they take on Jameis Winston this weekend. The Bucs 2nd year quarterback is tied for the league lead in touchdown passes so far with 8, though he has thrown six picks to. It won’t be a blowout, none of Denver’s games really have been, but it will be another win for the Broncos. DENVER WINS

Rams @ Cardinals: I’m shocked at the start the Cardinals are having at just 1-2. Carson Palmer has had a bad TD-turnover ratio through 3 weeks. Arizona isn’t getting quite out of David Johnson on the ground, while their defense is allowing the 5th most rushing yards per game. This is as good a week as any to get back to what they want to do in all phases as they take on their division rival Rams, who find themselves tied atop the division at 2-1. Los Angeles has rebounded nicely from a shutout on opening day, winning their last two games. The Rams tend to play up or down to their opponents, evident by a 9-3 home win over Seattle and a 37-32 shootout on the road in Tampa Bay. Going off those results, I’ll take the Cardinals at home in what should be a close game throughout between these two West foes. ARIZONA WINS

Cowboys @ Niners: Dallas couldn’t have asked for more from rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot through three weeks. The Tony Romo-less Cowboys were a game-winning field-goal away from being 3-0 right now. Dez Bryant has a hairline fracture in his knee but is still expected to play this weekend. San Francisco was manhandled in week 3, and still isn’t making a change back to Colin Kaepernick. The biggest thing the Niners have going for them is Carlos Hyde has looked pretty good. I like what the Caowboys have done this season, but I have a feeling about San Fran this week. It might be a bad feeling, but I’m rolling with it.SAN FRANCISCO WINS

Saints @ Chargers: It’s still early, but the Saints need to start picking up some wins quickly if they want to make the playoffs as I predicted they would as a wildcard team in the NFC. The offense hasn’t been the problem. Drew Brees is already over a 1,000 yards passing, with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio, though that one interception last week was a fourth quarter pick six for Brees. New Orleans defense hasn’t been been able to stop anyone, as they’ve allowed the 2nd most total yards. Worst at stopping the run, that’s where the Chargers will need to take advantage this week. But without Danny Woodhead, San Diego needs Melvin Gordon to get going, so this is the perfect opportunity for that. I like Philip Rivers, but I like Drew Brees more. Give me the road team to get win number 1 this week. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Chiefs @ Steelers: What a defensive performance put on by the Chiefs this past week! Two defensive touchdowns and six interceptions helped Kansas City get the easy win over the Jets. The offense wasn’t great, but they didn’t need to be with that showing on defense. Alex Smith continued to show his game management skills, and why Travis Kelce is one of the better tight ends in the league right now. They’ve got a desperate Steelers team thsi week, who didn’t score a touchdown in a week 3 beatdown by the Eagles. After two very good weeks, DeAngelo Williams was stymied on the ground, so the rushing attack will gladly welcome back Le’Veon Bell from suspension this week. The biggest test for the Kansas City defense will be stopping Antonio Brown, but I don’t think it will matter much even if he does have a big day. KANSAS CITY WINS

Monday Night Football

Giants @ Vikings: This should be a battle of two unbeatens, but a late game collapse left the Giants at 2-1 heading into today. Too many penalties, a couple late turnovers and allowing Washington to open up the field multiple times led to the home loss for New York. They lost Shane Vereen to a triceps injury as well. Eli Manning and company need to do more in the passing game, and they have the capability with three wide receivers. The bad news for New York is that the Vikings are running on all cylinders right now. Their defense has been relentless through three weeks, and despite losing starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before the season started, the offense has been very good. Sam Bradford has come in and fit in better in two weeks then he’s done in the first few seasons of his career. It’s going to be tough for the Giants on the road, but I like New York will figure things out and get back in the win column. NEW YORK WINS

We’ve reached week 3 of the season, and still have 8 undefeated and 8 winless teams. There have also been a lot of big injuries early that will have a big impact on week 3 and beyond. As for my picks, I’m 18-14 through 2 weeks. Here’s what I’m thinking going into week 3.

Thursday Night Football

Texans @ Patriots: Jimmy Garoppolo left with a shoulder injury for New England, who still managed to move to 2-0. This was thanks in large part to Garoppolo’s 3 touchdown passes before his injury as well as a big performance from LeGarrett Blount in the run game. The Texans took down the Chiefs on the strength of their defense to move to 1-1, a stark difference from their 33-0 loss to Kansas City in the playoffs. Without Garoppolo, I think the Texans will do enough to get another win to start off the week 3 action. HOUSTON WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Ravens @ Jaguars: Baltimore got very lucky in week 2, as they overcame a 20-0 1st quarter deficit to improve to 2-0. Cleveland never scored again, while Joe Flacco brought his team back with a 25-45, 302 yard performance. Their opponents have been disappointing to me so far. While I didn’t think the Jaguars were going to make the playoffs this season, I thought they’d be better than they’ve shown, starting 0-2 again after They crossed midfield only six times and committed three turnovers. BALTIMORE WINS

Lions @ Packers: Both teams enter 1-1 after losing in week 2, and are looking to keep pace with the 2-0 Vikings. The Packers lost their game in the 4th quarter, turning the ball over twice, while allowing Rodgers to be sacked 5 times. Detroit also lost their game in the 4th quarter when they were outscored 13-0 by the Titans, including a 93-yard game winning drive. The Lions didn’t have a go to back in week 2, losing Ameer Abdullah to an injury. So who gets back in the win column this week? I’ll take the Packers at home with a much-needed big day from Eddie Lacy. GREEN BAY WINS

Redskins @ Giants: Washington won the NFC East a year ago, but have opened up this season 0-2. Struggles in the red zone and an inability to force turnovers meant a loss in a back-and-forth affair with Dallas last week. New York’s offense moved up and down the field pretty easily on Sunday, but also struggled in the redzone, and had too many turnovers in the 1st half. But the defense and special teams stepped up and they moved to 2-0. So who takes this division matchup? Give me the home team to get over their redzone struggles and take advantage of Eli Manning’s league leading completion percentage, which should be even better as the Giants receiving core dropped at least 5 balls in week 2. NEW YORK WINS

Browns @ Dolphins: For the 5th week in a row (dating back to last season), Cleveland will be starting a different QB. Someone should tell them this isn’t baseball, there’s no starting rotation in football. Even with the QB carousel, the Browns almost, and should have, pulled out their first win in week 2. They were up 20-2 on the Ravens, thanks in big part to their ground attack, but fell late. Miami isn’t in any better a position than their week 3 opponents, as they enter action at 0-2 as well. The Dolphins were down big early to the Pats, but made a comeback after Jimmy Garoppolo went down with an injury. Cleveland will be in this game until the end because Miami has had issues stopping the run early. But even of Isaiah Crowell goes big on the ground, I still think they pull out the win at home. MIAMI WINS

Vikings @ Panthers: Minnesota will now be without their starting QB and running back for the rest of the season after Adrian Peterson went down in their game on Sunday night. The Vikings defense looked stong against Aaron Rogers in week 2. As for Carolina, they rebounded offensively in week 2, but they still struggled a bit on defense, allowing the Niners to score 27. They’ll be without their running back Jonathan Stewart, but were picked up by Fozzy Whittaker on the ground. Despite the 27 points allowed, I like the Panthers chances of stopping Sam Bradford and the new Vikings weapon and league receiving yards leader Stefon Diggs. CAROLINA WINS

Broncos @ Bengals: Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start this season, leading the league with 732 passing yards, so here’s a good test for the Broncos league leading defense. CJ Anderson is having a good start to the season, and we’ve seen the Bengals give up the most rushing yards per game to start the season, so he should be able to help eat a lot of clock for Denver. DENVER WINS

Cardinals @ Bills: Arizona rebounded from a tough week 1 loss by handily beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cardinals led the league in total offense, while the Bills dropped to 0-2 despite putting up 31 points of their own in week 2. Buffalo has let their offensive coordinator go, so they really need this game. Too bad I don’t think they’ll get it. Look for a big game from running back Daniel Johnson. ARIZONA WINS

Raiders @ Titans: Oakland has not been able to stop anyone through two weeks, something I wasn’t expecting, allowing 70 points so far. Tennessee has actually done a very nice job on defense. Both teams are 1-1 heading into this game, but I still like the Raiders better. The Titans offense hasn’t shown the big play ability the Raiders have, so Oakland should be able to hold them down better than they did with New Orleans and Atlanta. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Rams @ Buccaneers: LA’s defense showed up in week 2, Tampa’s did not. The difference between these two teams is the offense. While the Bucs went from scoring 4 TDs to 1, I feel more confident about their offense than the Rams, who have scored just 9 points in two games. The best chance the Rams have is if their defense can do what it did a week ago, and good game out of Todd Gurley. That being said, I’ll take the home team in this one. TAMPA BAY WINS

49ers @ Seahawks: This is a big (albeit early) NFC West battle between two 1-1 teams. San Francisco followed up a surprise week 1 win with a defensive breakdown against Carolina. Seattle had one of their worst offensive games in this recent stretch of Superbowl quality teams, scoring just a field goal against the L.A. Rams. I can’t see the Seahawks being held down again, especially by the Niners. Russell Wilson should be able to dominate in this one. SEATTLE WINS

Steelers @ Eagles: I never thought this would be a game where both teams have a chance to move to 3-0, but here we are. DeAngelo Williams has been huge for Pittsbrgh in the abscense of Le’Veon Bell, who is out one more week due to suspension. Philadelphia has gotten about as good as you can ever hope to from a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz, who hasn’t turned the ball over yet. It should be a good game, but I will go with the experience in this one.PITTSBURGH WINS

Jets @ Chiefs: Two teams I picked to make the playoffs in the AFC face off in Kansas City this weekend. New York picked up their first win last week, thanks to the offense. Off-season acquisition Matt Forte finished with 100 yards rushing, and three rushing touchdowns. Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall both finished with 100 receiving yards as well. The Jets defense wasn’t as impressive as it was week 1. The Chiefs hope that’s the case again this week, as they couldn’t get much of anything started against Houston. A lot went right for New York last week, and I can’t see them doing quite that well against Kansas City’s defense as they did against Buffalo. If this were a home game for the Jets I might choose differently, but it’s a home game for the Chiefs, so I’ll go with them this week. KANSAS CITY WINS

Chargers @ Colts: San Diego is 2-0, Indianapolis is 0-2. I really thought that the Colts would be able to do better than they have on defense, but they haven’t. San Diego has looked very good on offense to start this season, Indy has been very up and down. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Bears @ Cowboys: Chicago is 0-2 despite holding early leads in both week 1 and week 2. And now they’ll be without starting quarterback Jay Cutler due to a thumb injury. Their best hope to beat the Cowboys is to continue limiting the passing game, as the Bears rank 4th in the NFL allowing 224 yards a game. As for Dallas, they picked up their first win thanks to another clean day from Dak Prescott and a big night on the ground. The Boys were already a better team than the Bears before the Cutler injury, so give me Dallas at home to move to 2-1. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Falcons @ Saints: Atlanta picked up their first win against an impressive Raiders team in week 2, while New Orleans dropped to 0-2 after a game winning field goal by the Giants. Atlanta hasn’t had any problems scoring this season, but their defense has struggled at times. New Orleans’ defense was much better in week 2, forcing 3 turnovers, but it wasn’t enough. I picked the Saints to make the playoffs, so this is a huge game for them. If they want to get their first win, they have to figure out how to run the ball. The Falcons tend to be very inconsistent, so give me New Orleans at home in a shootout. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Week 1 sure didn’t disappoint. We had a ton of close games, a few massive comebacks and plenty of big performances.

The Broncos showed why they are the defending champs, the Patriots showed they are all about the next man up and the Raiders offense made us all pay attention. Over in the NFC, we learned that Jordy Nelson doesn’t take long to get back into the flow after an injury, Victor Cruz can still get past defenders and into the end-zone, and that Jameis Winston can score with the best of them.

I went 8-8 for my week 1 picks. Here’s to hoping week 2 goes better.

Thursday Night Football

Jets @ Bills: In both teams first division game, it’s a battle to avoid an 0-2 start. Both teams had impressive defensive showings in week 1. The Jets were able to get to Andy Dalton for a record 7 sacks thanks to a big day from their defensive line. Darrelle Revis was exploited by A.J. Green like few others have been able to in the corner’s 10-year career. Buffalo held Baltimore to one touchdown, and not much on the ground. New York was hurt by missed PAT and FG from the usually on-point Nick Folk and a late Ryan Fitzpatrick interception. So which team should feel better about their chances in week 2? I like the Jets to fix their little mistakes on offense this week. NEW YORK WINS

Sunday 1pm Games

Saints @ Giants: If there’s one thing we learned in week 1, it’s that the Saints defense isn’t much better than last season, while the Giants defense finally learned to limit damage. New York shouldn’t be happy about allowing the Cowboys to dominate time of possession, but Big Blue should be very excited about how their wide receiving core looked. Victor Cruz scored his first touchdown since 2014, rookie wideout Sterling Shepard got his first and Odell Beckham Jr. took pressure off both. The game-winning drive for New York featured solid offensive line play they’ve desperately lacked the past couple of seasons. New Orleans had no issues on offense in week 1, with Drew Brees throwing 4 touchdowns. Oakland took that game with a late drive and two-point conversion on the road, leaving a hungry Saints team looking to avoid an 0-2 start. Last year’s match-up between these two meant 101 combined points. While I don’t think it will get that bad this time around, it could still be a shootout. Obviously, I liked what the Giants did a lot more in week 1 than the Saints, but I can’t see an 0-2 start for this Saints team. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Titans @ Lions: Detroit’s offense looked very good in week 1. The defense struggled in the second half, blowing a 21 point lead only to hold on in the end for a 1-0 start. Tennessean saw signs of life from DeMarco Murray on offense, but allowed Minnesota to score not one, but two defensive touchdowns. The Lions definitely hold the edge in offense heading into week 2, but I don’t think Detroit can replicate that again. Look for Marcus Mariota to have a big day. TENNESSEE WINS

Cowboys @ Redskins: One team lost by a point at home in week 1, the other got beat down. Dallas had a shot to get rookie QB Dak Prescott a win in his debut, but time management cost them a shot at a game-winning field goal. Washington looked pretty good defensively early against Pittsburgh on Monday night, then Antonio Brown showed up. The Cowboys were able to eat up a lot of clock Sunday, and the way the Skins played the run against Pittsburgh, Dallas can absolutely do that again. Washington’s run game gained less than 60 yards. That’ll be the difference. DALLAS WINS

Chiefs @ Texans: Both teams come into this match-up at 1-0, but with work to do. Slow starts could’ve doomed both in their first games, but things got going late. Brock Osweiler led the Texans on a 23-0 run after spotting the Bears 14 early. KC had to come back from down 21-0 and get the win in overtime. At least both teams know they can comeback from an early deficit? If Houston wants to win this game, they need another big day from Lamar Miller. While I absolutely think they can get that big day, I think the Chiefs are simply the better team. Alex Smith had one of his best games, without needing to run the ball like he is known to do. KANSAS CITY WINS

Dolphins @ Patriots: No Tom Brady? No Rob Gronkowski? No problem. Jimmy Garoppolo showed his game management skills in their week 1 win over the Cards. The Pats won the battle of special teams, as Stephen Gostkowskiwent 3-f0r-3 on field goals, including a 53-yard footer, while the Cards missed a potential game winner with 41 seconds to go. Miami was able to stand pat against the Seahawks in week 1, putting together a masterful 86-yard touchdown drive to take a lead in the fourth quarter. But they fell anyway. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Ravens @ Browns: Baltimore’s defense was at a peak level it hasn’t been at in years in week 1. That being said, the Ravens offense wasn’t very impressive, though give credit to Tennessee there. Joe Flacco was sharp throwing the ball, and got his team into the red zone four times. Cleveland is already on quarterback number 2 after Robert Griffin went down in his Browns debut. As if that wasn’t bad enough in week 1, the Browns couldn’t stop Carson Wentz, who they passed on in the draft. Whoever said the curse was broken in Cleveland after the Cavs win wasn’t looking broadly enough. Cleveland needs to establish the run in week 2 if they have any shot of winning, and even then I don’t think it’ll be enough. BALTIMORE WINS

Niners @ Panthers: The team entering this match-up 1-0 isn’t the team I thought would be doing so. San Francisco laid the goose egg on the Rams in week 1, while the Panthers lost a heart-breaker to the defending champs. As good as the Niners looked Sunday night, they still aren’t in the same league as this Carolina team, and there is no way the team I tabbed for a Superbowl this season starts 0-2, especially with this game taking place at home. Blaine Gabbert won’t have it so easy in week 2. CAROLINA WINS

Bengals @ Steelers: Cincinnati escaped week 1 with a road win in New York in a back-and-forth affair. Then, the Steelers rebounded from a slow start to take an easy one from the Skins. Both teams got huge performances from their number 1 wide receivers, meaning the game comes down to the ground and pound. DeAngelo Williams made up for the lack of Le’Veon Bell and then some. So who gets this first AFC North win? Give me the black and yellow in week 2. PITTSBRUGH WINS

Sunday 4/425pm Games

Buccaneers @ Cardinals: Jameis Winston had his best game as a pro. And Tampa’s defense did a great job stopping the run against Atlanta, but need to figure out how to stop the big plays. As for the Cardinals, they fell late to the Patriots on a field-goal. What gives in week 2? I love this Arizona squad. Larry Fitzgerald looks amazing. It took them some time to get going in week 1, but I think they can get going earlier at home against this Bucs defense and get their 1st win of the season. ARIZONA WINS

Seahawks @ Rams: Seattle escaped week 1 with a win on the strength of their defense. L.A. on the other hand, looked like the worst team in the league by far. They couldn’t stop a Niners offense that wasn’t expected to do much this season, while their own offense looked lost. Last year, the Rams seemed to play up to their competition or down to them, so they could look a bit better this week. But I also don’t expect the Seahawks to look so bad on offense again this week. SEATTLE WINS

Falcons @ Raiders: Atlanta has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, and their defense did little to reassure their fans that this wouldn’t be a third straight. Scoring has never been the Falcons’ problem, but if they can’t get the run game going this week, they’re in trouble. The Raiders showed why a lot of people (myself included) have tabbed them to make the postseason this year. They can score with anyone, and no one believes that more than head coach Jack del Rio who went for two late to give the team a 1-point win on the road. The Falcons have to control the clock or the Raiders will put them in an 0-2 hole.OAKLAND WINS

Jaguars @ Chargers: I was impressed with both of these teams in week 1. Both teams lost, but they held their own against two of the league’s best teams (Green Bay and Kansas City). The big play ability of the Jags defense will keep them in most games offensively. San Diego got a big game on the ground, but the defense let up big time in the 2nd half. This could be a high scoring game, but I like Jags on the road. JACKSONVILLE WINS

Colts @ Broncos: Andrew Luck woke up big time in the 2nd half last season, but the defense left a lot to be desired. Denver looked strong coming off their Superbowl win, doing big things on the ground with C.J. Anderson. Indianapolis isn’t facing quite the QB that Matthew Stafford is, and while I liked this Colts team coming into the season, give me another win for the Broncos this week. DENVER WINS

Sunday Night Football

Packers @ Vikings: The Packers looked good last week, getting Jordy Nelson back into the flow of the offense right away. Minneosta pulled out a week 1 win thanks to their defense scoring two touchdowns against the Titans. Adrian Peterson was stuffed by a lesser front than the Packers. Sure it’s a division game, which is always tougher no matter if there is a talent gap. But with Green Bay getting Nelson going so quickly is bad news for the Vikings. I like the Pack to get to 2-0. GREEN BAY WINS

Monday Night Football

Eagles @ Bears: Carson Wentz didn’t look like a rookie in week one, while veteran Jay Cutler got shut out in the 2nd half to drop his first of the season. I don’t particularly like either one of these teams, and while Jay Cutler can put up big numbers, I feel like the Bears don’t have many big play makers right now. It won’t be as easy for the Eagles this week as it was last week, but I still think they’ll pull this one out. PHILADELPHIA WINS

Another year is upon us! The Denver Broncos are the reigning World Champions, and look to repeat with a brand new man under center with the retirement of Peyton Manning. Nope, not Brock Osweiler. And no it’s not Mark Sanchez either. Another AFC powerhouse in the New England Patriots will also be without their future hall-of-fame quarterback as Tom Brady serves a four game suspension. Absences and shakeups at the top means a lot can change from last season’s playoff picture. My team to watch this season will be the Oakland Raiders.

For me, the NFC is where the powerhouses will be in the in the 2016-2017 season. Carolina is fresh off a Superbowl loss, but were able to keep together their core. Arizona and Seattle will be there once again in an absolutely loaded NFC West. Green Bay gets back one of their biggest weapons in Jordy Nelson to go along with what the Packers hope is a reinvigorated Eddie Lacy at running back. And not to be forgotten are Superbowl vets like Drew Brees and Eli Manning who are looking to regain control of their respective divisions.

NFC Playoff Teams AFC Playoff Teams

Cardinals Chiefs

Panthers Bengals

Packers Broncos

Giants Colts

Seahawks Jets

Saints Raiders

NFC Championship

Cardinals @ Panthers: CAROLINA WINS

AFC Championship

Bengals @ Chiefs: KANSAS CITY WINS

Superbowl XLI

Panthers vs Chiefs: CAROLINA WINS

Now that I’ve gotten ahead of myself, here are my week 1 predictions.

Thursday Night Football

Panthers @ Broncos: The season kicks off with a rematch of Superbowl XL. Denver will raise their banner, and get their first look at Trevor Siemian at QB. Cam Newton and company will begin their quest to get back to the Superbowl. The Panthers have put the big loss behind them, and with their core still in tact, they are better prepared for a run than Denver is for their title defense. The Broncos will still be good, especially if CJ Anderson can continue to grow in the run game. But I like the Panthers to get the win this time around. CAROLINA WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Buccaneers @ Falcons: The battle for the South gets going quickly with a Bucs team with ambitions of not finishing last in their division, and a Falcons team looking to get back to the playoffs. This is going to be a shoot out with two great offenses going head-to-head. I simply have more trust in Atlanta during the regular season right now, so I’ll take their defense to make the big stop down the stretch over Tampa Bay. ATLANTA WINS

Bills @ Ravens: I see both of these teams being better than they were last season, but not by much. Buffalo has a higher ceiling right now, especially if Tyrod Taylor can figure out his fumbling problem. He makes pretty good decisions in the passing game, should get more out of LeSean McCoy this season and has a defense capable for being near the top of the league. Joe Flacco won’t be without back Justin Forsett, who led the team in rushing the past two season, as previously thought since he has re-signed after being cut days ago. Beyond that, I’m not a fan of the Ravens offense past Mike Wallace and Steve Smith Sr. I’m going with the AFC in this one. BUFFALO WINS

Bears @ Texans: Chicago finished last season in the cellar of the NFC North, while Houston won the AFC South. I see little evidence to suggest the Bears can get back into relevancy this season, while I think the Texans will lose the division to the Colts once again. The Bears let Matt Forte walk, as well as the franchise leader in scoring, kicker Robbie Gould. Houston is expected to have their defensive weapon in JJ Watt ready to go, so expect Jay Cutler to feel the pressure all day. HOUSTON WINS

Browns @ Eagles: Both teams will have new starting quarterbacks this season. Former rookie of the year Robert Griffin III gets a fresh start with Cleveland, while actual rookie Carson Wentz will become the first rookie to start week 1 in Eagles history (ELIAS). The Browns were bottom 10 in total defense and offense last season, resulting in a 3-13 record. Philly hopes their new QB and another year with DeMarco Murray will help get them over the .500 mark and challenge in the East. Opening at home with these pieces means a week 1 win for the birds. PHILADELPHIA WINS

Raiders @ Saints: Week 1 features a matchup of two teams I think will make the playoffs this season. The Saints defense wasn’t anything to write home about a season ago, allowing at least 20 points in every game but two (17 allowed in each of those). But Drew Brees had another stellar year, leading the league in passing yards. New Orleans parted ways with the team’s all-time leader in TD receptions, Marques Colston, but expect big things from Mark Ingram. Oakland gets another year of Derek Carr and Amari Cooper doing big things in the pass attack. A lot of moves on defense in the offseason has the Raiders poised for a big season. That being said, I like the Saints in a tight one at home. But I will not be surprised at all if Oakland steals one at the Superdome either. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Chargers @ Chiefs: Kansas City’s offense never really looks pretty on paper after Jamaal Charles, but they continue to make it work. Their defense is one of the league’s best and that will carry them again this season. The opposite can be said for San Diego. Philip Rivers has a very good group of pass catchers that should give the Chargers a chance in every game. Their consistency is always questionable on defense, and in a tough AFC West, they’ll need to figure that out. I really like the Chiefs this season, they return a lot of key pieces off a second round playoff appearance last year. KANSAS CITY WINS

Bengals @ Jets: Here’s another game with two teams I think will see the postseason. New York hopes their run game will be revitalized with the acquisition of Matt Forte, while getting even more out of Ryan Fitzpatrick than they did a year ago. I’ve said it before, but it’s time for the Bengals to take the next step. There’s some concern that Cincinnati is lacking depth at defensive end, but they’ve been able to dominate defensively in the past, and I think they can figure it out. It won’t be easy, but I like the Bengals to get a road win off the jump. CINCINNATI WINS

Packers @ Jaguars: Aaron Rodgers has his favorite target in Jordy Nelson back. If he can get 2013-14 Eddie Lacy back, look out for the Packers once again. Jacksonville’s offense took a step in the right direction last year, and they were much better at home. But while the Jaguars are still a few pieces away, the Packers are primed to make a deep run through the NFC once again. GREEN BAY WINS

Vikings @ Titans: Coming into the season, I thought this was going to be a very good game against two teams looking to prove themselves. Minnesota is coming off a playoff year where they lost to Seattle in the Wildcard round… by one point at home. Tennessee on the other hand are coming off a 3-13 season in which they won their first two games. Offense wasnt exactly their issue, with the 2nd ranked running game. But losing Marcus Mariota didn’t help. I really like the Vikings, but losing Teddy Bridgewater before the start of the season is tough, and now they look to Sam Bradford to keep them afloat in an always competitve NFC North. Give me the Titans on the ground with a healthy Mariota in week 1. TENNESSEE WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Dolphins @ Seawhawks: Miami was one of the more disappointing teams a season ago. They spent a lot of money on defense in the off-season leading up to last year, and it didn’t do much. The Dolphins allowed the second most yards a game in the AFC. Add a bottom 10 offense, and you can see why they finished below .500 and last in the East. Miami is a case of just hoping their talent will come together all at once (sound familiar with Miami teams?). Seattle had another good season in 2015, though they didn’t look great in the playoffs after two straight Superbowl appearances. They lost Marshawn Lynch, but return most of their stars on offense and always have the Legion of Boom to fall back on. This should be one of the easier wins of week 1 for the Hawks. SEATTLE WINS

Giants @ Cowboys: If ever there was a year for the New York Giants to run through the NFC East, it’s this one. Even in their Superbowl seasons they couldn’t win the division. But with Tony Romo out, and two rookies starting in Dallas and Philadelphia, the Skins are the only other team returning their starter from a year ago. Yes, Kirk Cousins got his team to the playoffs last season, but Eli Manning was the best QB in that division last season, and if his defense can at least be middle of the pack, and not dead last, this should be an easy return to the playoffs. Dak Prescott was impressive for Dallas in the preseason, but Big Blue has never had problems playing in the lone star state, and I don’t see it being a problem this season either. NEW YORK WINS

Lions @ Colts:The worst defense in the AFC last season belonged to the Colts. Not having a run game again meant they couldn’t sustain drives the way you’d want to mask that. The hope is veteran back Frank Gore can regain some of his old magic along with keeping Andrew Luck healthy. As for Detroit, they are another case of talent never panning out for an entire season. And with the retirement of Calvin Johnson, the Lions lose their most consistent and explosive weapon. It could be another ugly season in Detroit, while I expect a bounce back from Indy. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Sunday Night Football

Patriots @ Cardinals: New England starts the season without Tom Brady and defensive end Rob Ninkovich due to suspensions. In an improved AFC East, those 4 games without them could be trouble, especially since im not a fan of their rushing attack. Add a hungry and dangerous Cardinals team, and you’ve got a recipe for a week 1 loss. Arizona’s depth on offense is pretty impressive, and their defense should be really good again. A home win to kick off the season is in the cards for the birds. ARIZONA WINS

Monday Night Football

Steelers @ Redskins: Washington got some help on defense in the off-season acquisition of Josh Norman, but I still don’t think it’s going to be enough. The skins do get a break on defense since Pitt will be without top flight running back Le’Veon Bell who is suspended to start the season. But the Steelers have more than enough big play threats and I don’t know if Kurt Cousins can replicate what he did last season. PITTSBURGH WINS

Rams @ 49ers:Blaine Gabbert gets the starting job in San Francisco as that organization looks to distance itself from off-the-field stories. They open up against a Rams team ready to take the next step. The newly name Los Angeles Rams biggest issue was inconsistency last season, beating the Cardinals and Seahawks, but losing to the Bears at home. They’ve got a top flight running back and a better than average defense. It’s going to be another long season for the Niners. LOS ANGELES WINS

Well that’s it. Time to sit back, relax and wait for kickoff! Enjoy week 1 everyone.

I went 5-8 last week, bringing my season total to 73-59. Let’s get to week 10’s picks.

Thursday Night Football

Bills @ Jets: Both teams are coming off wins and sit at .500 or better behind the Patriots in the AFC East. The Jets snapped their two game skid last week, but it still wasn’t pretty. The run game was non-existent outside of the red-zone. They allowed Blake Bortles to throw for 381 yards but did pick him off twice and a recovery of a fumble late helped seal their 5th win. As for Buffalo, they got off to a fast start and never looked back against Miami in week 9. The Bills relied heavily on the run game, with two 100 yard rushers, though when they did go to the air, QB Tyrod Taylor hit his mark. Taylor was a very efficient 11/12 for 181 yards. So will this game end with both teams owning 5-4 records or will the Jets move to two games over .500, dropping back to one below? Give me the home team to better their wild card positioning this week. NEW YORK WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Jaguars @ Ravens: It’s a match-up of 2-6 teams with Baltimore coming off their bye week and the Jaguars coming off the loss to New York. Jacksonville can score with the best of them, but can also be shut down pretty easily, showing their youth and inconsistency. The Ravens however, have been in every game they’ve played, but have failed to make the big play late more often than not. I’ll take the home team in this one. BALTIMORE WINS

Browns @ Steelers: Last week the Browns couldn’t stop the Bengals quest for perfection, while the Steelers found a way to overcome another Ben Roethlisberger injury and no Le’Veon Bell. Johnny Football couldn’t save the Browns from a seventh loss, while DeAngelo Williams went off on the ground, and Antonio Brown had a record day in the air. Despite losing their starter again, I still like the Steelers in this one because their defense and run game are way better than what Cleveland has to offer. PITTSBURGH WINS

Panthers @ Titans: Well, the Panthers are still undefeated and have now put together two very impressive and balanced wins. Tennessee feels better about itself after snapping a six game slide and getting week one Marcus Mariota back. Too bad they face Carolina this week, because there is no way all three phases of the Titans squad can keep up with the Panthers who are on a league high 12-game winning streak dating back to last season. CAROLINA WINS

Bears @ Rams: The Rams are a .500 and actually have the upper hand over the Seahawks if they both win this week. Chicago found a way without Matt Forte to pick up their third win of the season thanks to a big night from Alshon Jeffery and a good job stopping the Chargers run game. I like the Rams defense but they tend to play up or down to their opponents. That being said, I like St Louis’ chances at home even if they do play down to Chicago. ST LOUIS WINS

Cowboys @ Buccaneers:This should be the last week the Cowboys are without Tony Romo, and considering they haven’t won without him, that’s a good thing. They haven’t gotten killed without him, but the offense just hasn’t done enough to help out the defense. As for Tampa, they’ve been very up and down, but have been in their last few games until the end. Unless the Cowboys get the run game going in Tampa, I like the Buccaneers to make it seven straight losses for Dallas. TAMPA BAY WINS

Lions @ Packers:A down-and-out Detroit team versus a down Green Bay team. Detroit continues to have the clearest path to the number one pick thanks to their barely one-win on the season so far. Now they face a Packers team that is struggling after a 7-0 start. Not to mention that it’s been two decades since the Lions have won on the road versus the Pack. Make it another road loss for the hapless Lions. GREEN BAY WINS

Dolphins @ Eagles: One team dropped a division match-up last week, the other picked up a needed division win. Miami sits in the cellar of the AFC East, while Philadelphia evened up their record and moved within a game of the Giants for first place in the NFC East. The offense wasn’t the problem for the Dolphins last week, but it hasn’t been a consistent year for Tannehill and company. I still don’t trust Sam Bradford so I like the Fins on the road. MIAMI WINS

Saints @ Redskins: New Orleans got another big game on offense from Drew Brees, but turnovers and the defense’s inability to stop anyone hurt them again. Washington had no chance against the Pats last week, dropping to 0-4 on the road. They’re 3-1 at home this season, so maybe they play better, but I still like the Saints in this one. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Vikings @ Raiders: This is one of the most intriguing match-ups of the week. Minnesota is off to one of it’s best starts at 6-2, while the Raiders strong start was hurt by a loss to Pittsburgh a week ago. The Vikings escaped with an OT win against a good defensive team last week. I liked Minnesota to challenge for a playoff spot before the season, and while I thought Oakland would be better than a year ago (not hard when you only win three games), I didn’t think they’d be in a playoff battle this year. Minnesota has been carried by their defense this season, but I think Oakland finds a way to get back in the win column at home. OAKLAND WINS

Chiefs @ Broncos: Coming off their first loss of the season, the Broncos also had their QB on the sidelines during practice this week. As for Kansas City, they’ve started to look a lot better and have a second half schedule that could get them back in the AFC West race quickly if they continue to get better. That being said, Denver’s defense will be hungry after a poor showing against Indianapolis, so give me the home team to get back on track, especially if Manning plays. DENVER WINS

Giants @ Patriots: New York is taking on New England in a season that finds the Patriots undefeated… where have I heard this before? The last time this happened, it was week 17, and the Pats eked out their 16th win to stay undefeated in the regular season. Then went on to lose in the Superbowl to those same Giants. Now here we are, with the Giants offense starting to click, going into Foxborough with a chance to hand the Pats their first loss. These two teams play close games in the Manning-Brady era, and I don’t think that changes this week, something that will be different for the 2015 Pats. But it’s tough in a normal year to win in New England, so give me the Pats to stay undefeated. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Sunday Night Football

Cardinals @ Seahawks: Talk about a big division match-up in prime-time. Arizona has been the best team in the NFC West through the first half of the season. But two games with the Seahawks in the 2nd half will be the marker for how read they are. The reigning NFC champions have been very up and down this season and have a shot to get above .500. It’s hard to go into Seattle and win, but I like what the Cardinals have done on both sides of the ball this season about as little I like the Seahawks offense this season. ARIZONA WINS

Monday Night Football

Texans @ Bengals: Houston is coming off their bye, while the Bengals are coming off their 8th win of the season. The Texans won their game prior to their bye, but they weren’t all that impressive, particularly on the ground. Cincinnati continues to click on all cylinders and being at home with a chance to move to 9-0 is huge. CINCINNATI WINS

Another week come and gone. My picks record stands at 69-50 after an 8-6 week.

Bye weeks: Ravens, Chiefs, Cardinals, Texans, Lions and Seahawks

Thursday Night Football

Browns @ Bengals: Josh McCown is out (due to injury), Johnny Manziel is back in. And while McCown has played well, Manziel led the Browns to one of their best games this season and probably should’ve been given more of a chance to be the starter. But it really doesn’t matter who starts for Cleveland on Thursday, because they face an undefeated Bengals team on the road. I like the Bengals to find their run game again and get a fairly easy week 9 victory to improve to 8-0. CINCINNATI WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Dolphins @ Bills:It’s a battle to stay out of the cellar in the AFC East, and not a fight for a possible wild card like both teams probably thought it might be coming into the season. The winner improves to .500 and stays relavant. The loser doesn’t. Miami is coming off a dud against the the Pats on a long week, while the Bills are coming off their bye week. I don’t like either of these teams right now, but I trust the Dolphins offense more than the Bills, so I’ll take the road team in this one. MIAMI WINS

Packers @ Panthers: Aaron Rodgers and company had themselves their worst performance of the year last week and were handed their first loss by an undefeated Broncos squad. And it doesn’t get easier this week against another undefeated team. The Packers offense has been on a decline the past few weeks, so it’s not a surprise they looked terrible at the best defense in the league. Now they get a red hot Carolina team that has won 11 straight dating back to last season. That being said, while I finally trust this Panthers team, I also didn’t like what I saw in the second half against the Colts when they nearly blew a double digit lead. I can’t imagine another horrible performance from Rodgers, so I think this is the week the Panthers fall, as the Green Bay defense has been very good all year. GREEN BAY WINS

Jaguars @ Jets: The Jets have lost two straight, while the Jags are coming off their second win and their bye week. New York’s defense has been a shell of itself the last couple weeks, and they have issues at QB. But they’re a better team than the Jags and I think they correct things enough to get their 5th win of the season. NEW YORK WINS

Rams @ Vikings: Both teams are playing well right now. St Louis is living by their run game, while the Vikings are living by their defense. The Rams tend to play up to their opponents, so I expect this to be a well-played, even game that comes down to the fourth water. I like the home team to make the plays down the stretch and improve to 6-2. MINNESOTA WINS

Redskins @ Patriots: The Redskins have had some ups, some downs, some more downs and a bye week. The Patriots have been all up and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. The reigning champs are healthy and have a very comfortable lead in the AFC East. And as bad as it has been at times for Washington, they are in the most wide open division in the NFC. Let’s be honest, this will probably be the most lopsided game of the week. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Titans @ Saints: Tennessee is in shambles and has a new head coach. What they need is week one Marcus Mariota back and a defense. New Orleans is on fire, and looking more like the team I thought they’d be to start the season. Their defense is a glaring weak point, but the offense showed last week it can do whatever it wants when clicking. It’ll be another high scoring win for the Saints here in week nine. NEW ORLEANS WINS

Raiders @ Steelers: Oakland looks like it’s rounding into shape after a big road win over the Jets. Pittsburgh got Ben Roethlisberger back, but lost Le’Veon Bell in a loss to Cincinnati. The offense is clicking for Oakland, and the defense is doing it’s job. The Steelers were able to stay afloat without Big Ben, and now need to do the same again without Bell, who missed the first two games of the season. I think this will be a good game, but as hard as it is to go into Pittsburgh and win, I think the Raiders find a way and move to 5-3. OAKLAND WINS

Sunday 4/425PM Games

Giants @ Buccaneers: One team is coming off a last minute loss, the other, an OT win. New York had one of its best offensive performances in team history. But the defense couldn’t stop anyone, so Eli Manning became the first QB in NFL history to throw six touchdowns and zero interceptions in a loss. As for Tampa Bay, they nearly blew a big lead for the second week in a row. For that reason, the Giants should have no excuse but to put up another big number on offense, and with the possible return of Jason Pierre-Paul and a worse offensive team than New Orleans as their opponents, they should have no trouble getting back over .500. NEW YORK WINS

Falcons @ 49ers: Atlanta is coming off a bad loss to the Bucs, while the Niners in a time of transition after benching Colin Kaepernick for Blaine Gabbert. San Francisco has a bottom five defense and offense, while the Falcons continue to be one of the NFL’s best despite the week eight hiccup. This should be an easy win for Atlanta as they look to stay at worst a game back of Carolina in the South. ATLANTA WINS

Broncos @ Colts: Denver is coming off their best win of the season and boast the league’s best defense. Imagine if Peyton Manning was actually playing well? It can still happen of course, and against a struggling Indianapolis team, it could be a breakout week for the an tied with for the most QB wins in NFL history. And wouldn’t it be fitting for Manning to get the record win against the team he won a majority of those games with? Meanwhile, his replacement in Andrew Luck finally looked like himself late against Carolina on Monday. But it still ended in another loss. For as explosive as he is, turnovers continue to plague him and are holding this team back right now. An offensive coordinator move could help, but against this defense, it’s going to be tough. DENVER WINS

Sunday Night Football

Eagles @ Cowboys: It’s a battle of two struggling NFC East teams that despite their issues, have a legitimate chance to rebound and win their division. Both teams have been more down than up this season, but for very different reasons. Healthy Dallas was 2-0, but they’ve lost 5 straight without Tony Romo. Fairly healthy Philadelphia has just been very inconsistent, particularly on offense. So who keeps hope alive on Sunday Night? Give me Dez Bryant to have a big second week back from injury and a much better Matt Cassel. DALLAS WINS

Monday Night Football

Bears @ Chargers: Two teams having disappointing seasons square off in prime-time. The trade deadline has come and gone and the Bears didn’t tear down the roster like some thought they might. As for the Chargers, their offense has been pretty good all season, but they will now be without a big weapon in Keenan Allen. Neither team has a good defense, but based on the offenses, I think San Diego has one of their best games of the season and their easiest wins as well. SAN DIEGO WINS

It’s pretty amazing how many teams most thought would be good this season are 0-2.

Most Impressive Teams From Week 2

New England Patriots (2-0)– The Tom Brady revenge tour raged through Buffalo this weekend and put up three touchdowns and 466 yards passing on the Buffalo defense. Rob Gronkowski went over 100 yards, Julian Edelman caught two TDs and nine different Patriots caught passes. The defense let up late, allowing 19 points in the fourth to the Bills to make the final score close, but it really wasn’t.

Arizona Cardinals (2-0) –Carson Palmer is healthy and it means this team is a force to be reckoned with in a division that has the NFC Champs bringing up the rear at 0-2. Palmer was efficient throwing 4 touchdowns on just 185 yards passing. The Cards got help from their defense, and special teams with a team record 108-yard kickoff return. Not to mention that Larry Fitzgerald had one of the best games of his career, catching 3 scores after going nine straight (including the playoffs) without a single one.

Green Bay Packers (2-0) –Make it nine straight regular season home wins for the Packers who got revenge for their NFC Championship loss to the Seahawks. Both defenses played well, but the big play came by Green Bay in the fourth, an interception of Russell Wilson as the Pack went to score 11 to take the lead and the game. The fact that Green Bay could come out on top after losing both Eddie Lacy and Devonte Adams early to injury shows how deep this team is.

Most Disappointing Teams From Week 2

New York Giants (0-2)– The New York Giants are now 0-2… against the New York Giants. They got Odell Beckham Jr and Shane Vereen going, Eli Manning hasn’t thrown a pick and the defense shutdown Matt Ryan for most of the game. But it hasn’t mattered. In both games, they played the 55 minutes of football that should have them 2-0 and atop the NFC East. Instead, they’ve shot themselves in the foot to end two games with poor time management and poor play calling.

Indianapolis Colts (0-2) –For just the second time in his young career, Andrew Luck has lost two straight games. The fourth year QB threw 3 interceptions for the first time in nearly two years, and added a fumble to his bad night. The defense hasn’t been terrible, but they haven’t been able to make up for the bad offense.

Detroit Lions (0-2) – The defense hasn’t been a strengthlike it’s been in the past.Matthew Stafford has been erratic. But the most distressing part has the running game. They managed just 38 yards on the ground against the Vikings a week after surrendering 230 yards in week 1. When Matt Stafford leads you in rushing, that’s a problem. When he has most yards than four other guys combined, that’s a serious problem.

Most Surprising Performances from Week 2

Carolina Panthers (2-0) – I honestly don’t know how they’re doing it. Sure the defense is good, but offensively they haven’t done anything spectacular. Cam Newton looks better than last season, and has gotten it done on the ground, but their actual backs haven’t done much. Their big play threat in Kelvin Benjamin is down for the season, leaving Newton under 200 yards passing. But they’re doing enough and sit tied atop the division.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) – One week after a blowout loss to Cincinnati, they went toe-to-toe offensively with the Ravens and came out on top. David Carr threw for a career high 351 yards, and put a late turnover behind him quickly to throw the game winner with 26 seconds to go. He’s got two big weapons in rookie Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to throw to, something Oakland has been missing for years.

New York Jets (2-0) –I knew they’d be good this season. But I don’t even think they’ve played their best football and here they are at 2-0 coming off a nice win in Indianapolis. Ryan Fitzpatrick has looked great and forged a quick connection with Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. Chris Ivory got banged up in practice but has looked good so far. And the defense after being torched at times in week 1, specifically in the secondary, generated a great pass rush in week 2, and has an incredible 10 takeaways already.

Now we can get to my picks for week 3. I went just 5-11 to bring my season total to 15-17, so clearly I need a rebound.

Thursday Night Football

Redskins @ Giants: Washington’s defense has been one of the biggest surprises this season. New York’s defense is stopping the run, but allowing QBs to have a field day. The Giants offense looked a lot better in week 2, but they beat themselves late again. I should probably stop picking New York, but they handle the Skins well and without their late-game mistakes, I still think they’ve looked like the best team in the division. NEW YORK WINS

Sunday 1PM Games

Falcons @ Cowboys: Both teams enter 2-0 but with varying levels of health concerns. Dallas has been hit at QB with Tony Romo’s fractured clavicle, wide receiver with Dez Bryant’s broken foot and Jason Witten’s knee. Atlanta will be without rookie running back Tevin Coleman who injured his rib in their week 2 win. The Cowboys traded for guys to replace their injured stars, including a pick for Matt Cassel, who is a very capable starter. But Matt Ryan has a very healthy and electric Julio Jones paired with Roddy White and I think he’ll be able to out-pass anything the Boys throw out there. ATLANTA WINS

Colts @ Titans: Tennessee went from great to average in a weeks’ time, something to expect with a rookie QB. I’ve already gone over Indy’s problems so I won’t here. But the Jets showed you can do damage to the Colts secondary, so expect Marcus Mariota to throw early and often this week. However, I don’t think it will be enough. Andrew Luck will figure out how to play past his turnovers and explode in week 3 and get win number 1. INDIANAPOLIS WINS

Raiders @ Browns: Johnny Manziel was supposed to get another start after picking up his first win a week ago. Not so fast. Josh McCowan will be back after missing week 2 with injury. I don’t like the move, but I guess Cleveland is operating under the “you don’t lose your job because of injury idea.” As for Oakland, no one thought they’d be good this year, and yet they’ve done some good things early on. So who moves to a surprising 2-1? Give me the Raiders in a close one on the road.OAKLAND WINS

Bengals @ Ravens: Andy Dalton is off to one of the best starts of his career, the run game is producing and the defense is doing what it needs to do, holding opponents to 16 points a game. Now they face a hungry 0-2 Ravens team in an AFC North showdown. Baltimore’s defense has allowed that has allowed the seventh most points per game in the first two weeks. I thought Baltimore would be in contention for a playoff spot against this season, and while I know they can win this game and avoid an 0-3 start, I like the Bengals too much right now. CINCINNATI WINS

Jaguars @ Patriots: The Jacksonville Defense has been solid through two weeks of play, but they’re going to need to get to Tom Brady early and often if they want to unseat the champs. Blake Bortles looked better in week 2 than week 1, but he’s still got a lot of work to do. New England is just on another level and at home. They’ll get to 3-0 rather easily. NEW ENGLAND WINS

Saints @ Panthers: Already at 0-2, the Saints are now without Drew Brees. Carolina is seeing a better Cam Newton through two weeks than they saw all of last season. New Orleans defense has been atrocious, the Panthers pretty good. If all holds true, we’ve got another easy win for a soon-to-be 3-0 squad. CAROLINA WINS

Eagles @ Jets: DeMarco Murray has been very, very bad. Sam Bradford has been very bad. The Eagles special teams hasn’t been what it was, nor has the defense. New York has been good in every phase of the game, but it’s been their defense that has stood out above all. NEW YORK WINS

Buccaneers @ Texans: Bryan Hoyer did a better job than Ryan Mallett, but it wasn’t enough. Houston’s running game has been non-existent without Arian Foster. The defense isn’t what they can and have been in the past. Jameis Winston bounced back from a rough NFL debut to show flashes. If the Texans get some help on the ground, I like the Texans at home to pick up their first win. HOUSTON WINS

Chargers @ Vikings: Philip Rivers has been on point this season, completing 81 percent of his passes through two games. But turnovers hurt the Chargers chances at a 2-0 start a week ago. As for the Vikings, Adrian Peterson got back to his old self, racking up nearly 200 total yards to help get his team to 1-1. MINNESOTA WINS

Steelers @ Rams: The Steelers have looked good on offense through two weeks, and that was without Le’Veon Bell. Now with the AFC’s leading rusher from a year ago back, look out. St. Louis’s defense hasn’t been as good as I thought it would be, and the offense has had one great game, and one they’d like to forget about. So give me the more experienced Pittsburgh team on the road. PITTSBURGH WINS

Sunday 4/425 PM Games

49ers @ Cardinals: After a big first week, the Niners looked overwhelmed by the Steelers in week 2, particularly on defense, which is normally a strong suit. And now they have to contend with a hot Cardinals team on the road. Arizona is clicking on all cylinders, picking up where they left off last season with Carson Palmer. They might not give up 48 again, but San Francisco is going to have a tough time stopping the Cardinals. ARIZONA WINS

Bills @ Dolphins: Both of these teams looked great in week 1, and not so great in week 2. Buffalo is waiting for LeSean McCoy to look more like the guy Philadelphia ran out of the backfield last season. The Dolphins shot themselves in the foot with 13 flags for 113 penalty yards including a personal foul that set up the Jags game winning field-goal. The inconsistent showings of the Bills defense through two weeks makes it hard to gauge them. For that I’m taking the home team to improve to 2-1. MIAMI WINS

Bears @ Seahawks: One of these teams will be 0-3 (barring a tie) when the clock hits zero. And it’s easily going to be Chicago. While the Hawks haven’t been as good as they’ve been the past two years, they have been in both games and have played well enough to win. The Bears have looked awful and are now without Jay Cutler, though many are probably okay with that. SEATTLE WINS

Sunday Night Football

Broncos @ Lions: Peyton Manning woke up in week 2 but it was the Chiefs mistakes and Broncos defense that won the game in the end. Detroit is a surprising 0-2, but Matt Stafford always plays better at home than on the road. Denver is lucky to be 2-0, and I think that luck runs out this week. Look for the run game to get going for Detroit. DETROIT WINS

Monday Night Football

Chiefs @ Packers: Kansas City made some poor choices to end week 2. But they have to be happy with what they’ve seen from their skill position guys, now they just have to hope Jamaal Charles holds onto the football. Green Bay overcame injuries to key players in week 2 to get revenge on the Seahawks, thanks in large part to their defense. Both teams have impressed, but give me another home win for Aaron Rodgers and company this week.GREEN BAY WINS